Why We Fight: A Minority View

My people, the Jin-Mei, were the fourth to join the Gallente in their great interstellar experiment to build a diverse and multi-ethnic nation. Albeit that we are not founding members, and today we are even outnumbered by the ethnic Minmatar living in the Federation, we are no less dedicated to its cause. The reason why we are such committed citizens is not only idealistic though.

All those centuries ago we were not a spacefaring civilisation yet, but we were able to look into space with instruments of technology. We had witnessed phenomena which seemed to indicate that extraterrestrial life did indeed exist. For a long time there had been theories that many of our most ancient legends implied as much, but such thoughts were often dismissed. Of course once the Caldari and Gallente arrived on our world we received ultimate proof of those speculative aliens. We realised, however, that not all our observations could be accounted for by activities of the Federation. That worried many among my ancestors.

An ancient belief of the Jin-Mei is, that the universe in its entirety is balanced. For each good and beneficial thing, there must inevitably be something malicious or destructive. So, when we found the Gallente, Caldari, Mannar and Intaki to be well-intentioned, many of the Sang-Do Sage Masters warned that not everyone traveling between the stars could possibly be friendly. To assume so would mean that there was an imbalance in the universe. The wisest leaders of our ancient society deliberated for a long time, but ultimately one line of reasoning prevailed: considering how many benefits were brought to us by the first visitors, we can not do wrong by aligning ourselves with them. Those who would come after them are bound to be less well-intentioned.

It turned out our sages were right. Soon after, the Federation encountered the Amarr Empire. Consider what might have happened if we had rejected the overtures of the Gallente to join them. The Amarr sphere of influence was close to our home even then, and it was expanding. Many of us – myself included – believe to this day, that the Amarr Empire would have overrun us if we had not allied ourselves with others. As a people of lesser technological development we would have become slaves of the Amarr!

Our alliance with the Gallente stands as a testament to the pragmatic wisdom of our Sang-Do sages, but we also have to be thankful for the serendipity that is embodied by our encounter with the Gallente Federation. This nation accepted and integrated my people where others would merely have subjugated us. Therefore we must never forget our duty to the Federation as an ideal. In doing so we must recognize that the ideal we feel so committed to can not only be threatened from the outside, but also from within. We have seen how the Federation came close to descending into a fascist dictatorship in the aftermath of the Caldari secession, and even today there are tendencies which are disturbing. An industrial tycoon managed to leverage his corporate power for political gains, and the Federal Intelligence Service has become dangerously out of control under Mentas Blaque.

Being a true patriot and defending the values of the Federation means that it is our duty to protect the Federation against threats foreign and domestic. We must not let false pride and chauvinism divert us from the true cause. Like our Sage Masters of old, we have to recognize the merit of upholding the values that this society was built on. Whether we face Amarr imperialists who tolerate no paradigm except their own, racist militants among the Caldari, or power-hungry connivers in our own nation, we must defend the freedoms of multi-cultural expression and democratic values.

This is what I – and many Jin-Mei like me – fight for when we take up arms in the name of the Federation.

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The Federal Frontier is a news site that collects the best news, opinions, articles, and other media about the Gallente Federation and her supporters. Combat reports, news from military campaigns, and other vital info can also be found here. Contact Julianus Soter today if you wish to write for us.